It is now official -- I am retired as of the end of June, 2014. I shall post here only when there is a need to do so -- as in if I teach as a guest lecturer. Feel free to make use of my materials -- just provide credits if you re-use my material.

Notice to Graduates and Parents:Photos from the Graduation Banquet can be found at:

Final
Exam times and locations are now posted around the school. Students
with IEPs have been told of alternate locations where they will write
their exams and have special accommodations. Be sure to arrive early to
ensure that you allow for unexpected delays or problems.

Most students will write in the posted locations:

SS8 Exam time is Monday, June 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Block 2 will write in room D202; Block 4 will write in room D203.

SS11Exam time is Thursday, June 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the small Gym

Social Studies 8

Abonus assignmentis now available to help you boost your mark before the final exam. Look at it and follow the instructions. I have caught up with my marking and will accept bonus material until the final exam on Monday, June 18.

Be sure to return your texts before the exam or I will have to present you with a bill as you write the test.

Social Studies 11

***Here is a set ofsummary notesfor the Social Studies 11 course -- excellent for use in studying for the final exam.

***Here is another, shorter, set of notes for the Social Studies 11 course.

Notice to Graduates and Parents:I
regret to inform you that I am withdrawing from voluntary activities
until further notice. My reasons are two-fold, relating to the current
labour dispute and concerns for my personal health. I cannot legally say
much more than this to students, but would be more than willing to
explain my concerns to parents if they e-mail me. The 86% Club will not
meet for the remainder of this year (fortunately we have covered the
most important material in earlier meetings) and Mr. Benoy is no longer
co-chairing the Sutherland Scholarship Committee, nor is he sitting as a
member of the committee. Please direct any scholarship questions to
Principal McGowan and the Sutherland Administration. I will still help
any graduating students who ask me for individual help.

This
blogsite will have all of the changing material -- lesson plans and
links to assignments. I will try to ensure that all assignments are
posted here.If you see something underlined, it means that you can click
on the item to have it appear. I will do this for all pdf documents,
PowerPoints, videos, and even some music.

Course outlines are posted in the material for the first class this semester - go to the Monday, January 30 posting.

Final
Exam times and locations are now posted around the school. Students
with IEPs have been told of alternate locations where they will write
their exams and have special accommodations. Be sure to arrive early to
ensure that you allow for unexpected delays or problems.

Most students will write in the posted locations:

SS8 Exam time is Monday, June 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Block 2 will write in room D202; Block 4 will write in room D203.

SS11Exam time is Thursday, June 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the small Gym --- Please note, this was incorrectly posted differently earlier.

Social Studies 8

Abonus assignmentis now available to help you boost your mark before the final exam. Look at it and follow the instructions.

The unit test on India, China and Japan is most likely to be on Wednesday this week. Expect 20 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 2 groups of 5 matching questions (10 marks total) and a choice of 2 from 3 long answer questions (6 marks each). The total value is, therefore, 42 marks and you can earn 3 bonus marks from 25 flash cards.

Monday, June 18 - Take up #1-7, p. 125. Video: ShintoPart 1,Part 2. 1. What are Kami? 2. Would Shintoism appeal to non-Japanese people? Why or why not? 3. How is it that Buddhism and Shintoism can be practiced at the same time? Read pp. 126-130. Do #1-8, p. 130.

Tuesday, June 19 - Take up #1-8, p. 130. Watch Ancient Warriors; The Samurai,part 1,part 2.
1. What were the Samurai? 2. How were the Samurai similar to Medieval
European Knights? How were they different? Study for the Unit Test
tomorrow and the final exam on Tuesday.

Wednesday, June 20 - Final Unit Test - India/China/Japan.

Thursday, June 21 - Preparing for and writing the final exam.

Work on completing work and bonus material.

Friday, June 22 - Completion of work and bonus material.

Social Studies 11

***Here is a set ofsummary notesfor the Social Studies 11 course -- excellent for use in studying for the final exam.

***Here is another, shorter, set of notes for the Social Studies 11 course.

***Here is a set ofsummary notesfor the Social Studies 11 course -- excellent for use in studying for the final exam.

The Geography textbook21st Century Worldis available online. Just click on the title to access the table of contents.

We will not test Chapters 4 & 5 in class, but be sure to study them as they are bound to be significantly present on the provincial exam.

It is essential that you are currently
preparing to write the Provincial Final Exam. This is not a test that
you can cram for with one or two days to go. You must become familiar
with what expect on the final exam and comfortable with the format of
the test. Go to the ministry sites ( Frequently asked questions page, table of specifications, key verb list, &scoring criteria) to see how the exam is put together and look at past exams
-- in fact you should write the sample test and look at the posted key
to see how you do. To see how to approach the essay questions, look at this documentprovided to train markers of the exam. Link from my web page on writing the SS11 final.

Monday, June 18 - Take up #1-3, p. 84, #1-4, p. 85, #1-2, p. 86 and #1-3, p. 87. Take up homework. PowerPoint for Chapter 4
- Note -- we will move very quickly through this. Be sure to scan the
PowerPoint again, on your own time, in order to take good notes. Read
pp. 88-93. Do #1-4, p. 89, #1-5, p. 91 and #1-5, p. 93.

Tuesday, June 19 - Take up #1-4, p. 89, #1-5, p. 91 and #1-5, p. 93. Video: History’s Harvest and do the viewing guide questions. If time we will look at more of theChapter 4 PowerPoint.
Read pp. 93-106. Do #1-6, p. 97 (but note "1997" in #3 should read
"1973" and the typographical error in #5, where "grater" should read
"greater"), #1-7, p. 102, #1-6, p. 105 and Further Thought #1-4, p. 108. Be sure to investigate the CBC Archives material on the GMO debate. Identify arguments for and against producing genetically modified foods.

Friday, June 22 - Complete any material not finished earlier. Hand in Geography texts (you may keep Counterpoints until the exam - but make sure that they are handed in before the test!). Exam preparation - PowerPoint.

Notice to Graduates and Parents:I regret to inform you that I am withdrawing from voluntary activities until further notice. My reasons are two-fold, relating to the current labour dispute and concerns for my personal health. I cannot legally say much more than this to students, but would be more than willing to explain my concerns to parents if they e-mail me. The 86% Club will not meet for the remainder of this year (fortunately we have covered the most important material in earlier meetings) and Mr. Benoy is no longer co-chairing the Sutherland Scholarship Committee, nor is he sitting as a member of the committee. Please direct any scholarship questions to Principal McGowan and the Sutherland Administration. I will still help any graduating students who ask me for individual help.

This blogsite will have all of the changing material -- lesson plans and links to assignments. I will try to ensure that all assignments are posted here.If you see something underlined, it means that you can click on the item to have it appear. I will do this for all pdf documents, PowerPoints, videos, and even some music.

Course outlines are posted in the material for the first class this semester - go to the Monday, January 30 posting.

Final Exam times and locations are now posted around the school. Students with IEPs have been told of alternate locations where they will write their exams and have special accommodations. Be sure to arrive early to ensure that you allow for unexpected delays or problems.

Most students will write in the posted locations:

SS8 Exam time is Monday, June 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Block 2 will write in room D202; Block 4 will write in room D203.

SS11Exam time is Thursday, June 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the small Gym

Social Studies 8

Abonus assignmentis now available to help you boost your mark before the final exam. Look at it and follow the instructions.

If we can manage the time, there will be a quiz in the last week of classes. If it means missing needed instructional time, we will delete the test as material on the last unit appears on the final exam anyway.

Monday, June 4 - Take up homework. WatchThree Teachings- an introduction to Chinese culture and its roots in Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Why is it possible for people to believe in all three teachings at the same time? What do each of these belief systems focus on?Map Assignment: South and East Asia - 10 marks, due next class.Read pp. 28-31. Do #1-5.

Tuesday, June 5 - Hand in maps. Take up homework. Video -- sorry this is unavailable on the Internet - on Shih Huang Ti (the Chi'in First Emperor). 1. How was the emperor able to unify China? 2. Why is he generally seen as an evil figure in history? 3. What great building project did he create? 4. How did he try to become immortal? Watch this film,Shih Huang Dias a substitute or to learn more.Read pp. 31-36. Do #1-6, p. 36.

Wednesday June 6 - Take up#1-6, p. 36. WatchWhat the Ancients Did for Us; the Chinese-A few advertisements in Chinese will appear before the video starts, so be patient.What great contributions did the Chinese give to the world. If we do not finish seeing this video, you are expected to do so for homework.Read pp. 117-121. Do #1-5, p. 121. Read pp. 121-123. Do #1-5, p. 123. (Sorry about the double homework; it is needed for us to finish the course.

Thursday, June 7 - Take up #1-5, p. 123. WatchGenghis Khan.1. How did Genghis Khan unify the Mongols? 2. Where did the Mongols expand after unification? 3. Why were the Mongols so successful. No specific new homework tonight. Be sure to review for the last unit test and final exam.

Friday, June 8 - Watchwatch this French documentary (with English narration);Eurasia; Le Reve Mongol.1. How did Kublai Khan come to rule China? 2. What was needed before Kublai Khan could unify China under his rule? 3. How did ruling China change the Mongols of Kublai Khan? How did they try to maintain their culture? 4. What contact did Kublai Khan's China have with the outside world? 5. Why did the West become interested in China at this time?Read pp. 123-125. Do #1-7, p. 125.

Social Studies 11

***Here is a set ofsummary notesfor the Social Studies 11 course -- excellent for use in studying for the final exam.The Geography textbook21st Century Worldis available online. Just click on the title to access the table of contents.

To save time and not lose as many blocks to testing, we will test chapters 1-3 together. This will not be until Friday. Expect it to have 65 multiple choice questions and two from a choice of 10 long answer questions - valued at 6 marks each. The total is, therefore, out of 77 marks. 30 properly done flash cards will earn 5 bonus marks. We may or may not test chapters 4 & 5, depending on how our time goes -- but this material needs to be studied as it will be part of the material tested on the final examination.

Wednesday, June 6 - Take up homework. Watch Hans Rosling'sChimpanzees Know Better, to see how countries and populations are and are not different around the world.Ch. 3 PowerPoint- be sure to do so yourself for homework if we cannot do so in class. Read pp. 61-70. Do #1-5, p. 64 and #1-2, p. 70.

Thursday, June 7 - Take up homework. WatchGwynne Dyer'sEscaping From History, & do the following questions: 1) What are livingconditions like in Mexico City? 2) Why are people abandoning the countryside? 3) What does Dyer believe must happen for the developing world to get their fair share of consumer goods?Read pp. 70-73. Do #1-8, p. 73 and 1, 2, 5 and 7, p. 74 in "Further Thought." Study for the chapters 1-3 test next class.